Virtualization technologies may be leveraged to create many different types of services or perform different functions for client systems or devices. For example, virtual machines may be used to implement a network-based service for external customers, such as an e-commerce platform. Virtual machines may also be used to implement a service or tool for internal customers, such as information technology (IT) service implemented as part of an internal network for a corporation. Network traffic may therefore be directed to these virtual machines in order to perform the various functions or tasks provided by the services or functions performed utilizing the virtual machines. Network traffic, however, may not always be sent for legitimate use of the virtual machines. Malicious or fraudulent network traffic may waste virtual machine resources for handling legitimate network traffic. Moreover, malicious or fraudulent network traffic that is successful in its objectives may comprise the service as well as client information. Such challenges are not limited to network traffic directed to virtual machines, but may generally all network-based resources that receive network traffic at some network endpoint.
While embodiments are described herein by way of example for several embodiments and illustrative drawings, those skilled in the art will recognize that the embodiments are not limited to the embodiments or drawings described. It should be understood, that the drawings and detailed description thereto are not intended to limit embodiments to the particular form disclosed, but on the contrary, the intention is to cover all modifications, equivalents and alternatives falling within the spirit and scope as defined by the appended claims. The headings used herein are for organizational purposes only and are not meant to be used to limit the scope of the description or the claims. As used throughout this application, the word “may” is used in a permissive sense (i.e., meaning having the potential to), rather than the mandatory sense (i.e., meaning must). Similarly, the words “include”, “including”, and “includes” mean including, but not limited to.